This Weekend's 42nd Annual Seattle Martin Luther King Jr. Organizing Coalition Events

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day coming up this Monday, the Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition is kicking off its 42nd annual multiday tribute event series tonight. The coalition was formed in 1983 to honor King's legacy and features community discussions and meals, a job opportunity fair, workshops, and a march and rally.

"The coalition really tries to identify the work that [King] left behind, while focusing on a lot of the local issues that our citizens are facing today in King County," said Shaude' Moore, chair of the coalition.

The theme of this year's event series is "We Rise Against Project 2025." Moore said the coalition waited until after the election to choose the theme, and with the presidential inauguration day falling on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it felt especially relevant.

"It really symbolizes a call to action for Black people to unite and really resist systemic oppression and rise together in solidarity against policies, practices … that really threaten progress, equity, [and] injustice," said Dei'Marlon Scisney, committee chair for the opportunity fair.

The first event, taking place tonight at Washington Hall, is a community discussion about the state's "JR to 25" legislation that passed in 2018 to allow juvenile rehabilitation to serve youth up to 25 years of age. Dinner will be provided before the event.

On Jan. 18, another community discussion will take place, this time at the Northwest African American Museum, focusing on gun violence. The discussion will feature a youth panel. Moore points out that youth in our country are uniquely affected by gun violence.

The next event will be the job and opportunity fair on Jan. 20 at Garfield High School, led by Scisney. In addition to job opportunities, the fair will have different services available to attendees, including resume reviews, professional development resources, and skill-building workshops. The fair will feature 50 organizations looking to hire individuals.

"This event is not just a career fair — it's really a powerful platform for change and opportunity rooted in Dr. King's legacy of equity and economic justice," Scisney said.

On the same day at Garfield, there will be a rally and a march, which take place every year.

Honoring King's legacy is always important, Scisney said, and is something that should happen year-round — but it feels especially important as the country enters another Trump presidency.

"In the current context, reflecting on Dr. King's legacy really encourages us to engage in meaningful dialogue, continue the work that we are doing as boots to the ground … and participate in acts of service that really strengthen our community and unite us," Scisney said.

Community members interested in attending any of these events can find more information at the coalition website.